Experimenting with your food
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
United States
July 24, 2012 10:02am CST
We have been experimenting with more Asian inspired food lately. We have made Japanese noodles, Thai noodles (cold) and all sorts of rice and chicken dishes. I am not fond though of lemon grass. I was wondering if anyone could suggest an alternative to this ingredient as food is missing something with out it.
2 people like this
7 responses
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
25 Jul 12
I love experimenting in cooking foods too. A lemon zest can be a good substitute to lemon grass.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
25 Jul 12
I was thinking that but I couldn't find any lemons without a thick layer of wax on them in our store. We do not live where they are grown so I will have to try the organic market I think.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
31 Jul 12
I did this with a broth for noodles.. it was ok but a little too strong. I think I will have to play with the amounts until I get it right. Thanks for the advice.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
25 Jul 12
Just used the lemon juice with a tablespoon of thinly chopped ginger.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
24 Jul 12
What sauces are you trying out. The only sauce I use lemon grass in is a green curry sauce and the lemon adds flavoring, but the other favors subdue the taste. Have you tried just using lemon?
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
25 Jul 12
Just lemon didn't quite work. One recipe is for a water chestnut chicken with bamboo shoots. The other is a General Tso recipe I found but that one is too sweet also so i think I will try to find a different one.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
25 Jul 12
Sorry to hear that. Is it something you could just leave out?
I didn't realize General Tso had lemon grass in it. What recipe did you use? I made it a long time ago and used a PF Changs knock off recipe. I want to say it had 1/2c of honey and the other ingredients were soy sauce, ginger and maybe vinegar.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
31 Jul 12
This was a recipe from one of my friends parents back when I was a little girl. Her dad ran the kitchen at a local chines restaurant and he had given it to my mom way back in the day. When we where 11 her family was deported I only heard from her once after that
.
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@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
30 Jul 12
Wow!! Making asian food is good. We just have never experimented much and tried some of the recipes out there for some of the food. I have helped make Lupia and done Pho from time to time, and fried rice, but that is about it. Maybe this is something I need to read up on, and try sometime?
Have you checked Recipes on the internet or asked any of your Asian friends what a good substitute for Lemon Grass would be? I myself have never used it so not sure if I even know what it is.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
31 Jul 12
It is a grass that is long and thick, sorta looks like spring onions with a bulb the like on the bottom. It has a lemon flavor that is a mix with a slight grassy taste. In my mind it is what pledge would taste like but I know many who love it, my sister will actually chew on pieces of it while cooking.
1 person likes this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
25 Jul 12
Alternative for lemon grass is ginger. But I wonder why you are not fond of lemon grass. I love it so because it really enhances the taste of food aside from being so healthy. Anyway, you may try ginger and see if you will be satisfied with it. 
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
25 Jul 12
Now ginger I love! I don't know why I do not like it. I just have never cared for it.
@inkyuboz (1392)
• Mandaluyong City, Philippines
26 Jul 12
Lots of yummy ideas can be done through experimenting. I think some of the more widely-known food establishments have research and development teams just for the sake of this activity. I saw a show once where a group of men showcase their "researched" sauces for a Mcnugget-like product. It was very hard for me to take my eyes off the TV.
@mander81 (4)
• United States
24 Jul 12
You could try using lemon zest instead. Or perhaps a bit of lemon juice, not too much though. I simply leave it out, as I'm not fond of it either. By the way, if you've not already gone there, I'd like to suggest cookingwithdog on youtube. There's a lot of wonderful Japanese recipes on there, and the tutorials are very easy to follow.
